Page:The letters of John Hus.djvu/226

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188
LETTERS WRITTEN DURING THE

Please greet him by my prayers, which are set loose by my prison, and give him my thanks for his faithful interest in my cause. Greet the rest of the faithful Bohemians.

I blame myself for not keeping back my tears on suddenly seeing Master Christian; but the sight of my faithful master and particular benefactor made them stream from my eyes.

I had heard that, with your whole family, you had gone away for a long visit,[1] but now my soul is comforted. God, most gracious, at one time consoles me and at another afflicts me; but I trust He is ever with me in tribulation. For I have again been horribly racked with stone, from which I never suffered before, and with severe vomiting and fevers. My gaolers were afraid I should die, and removed me from the dungeon. Many articles from the Bag of Lies,[2] and others from this same bag, as also those to which you have the replies, have been laid against me. I dare not write replies on your paper to the articles of the Paris doctors,[3] because I could not conceal them on account of the watch kept over me. It is just as well to leave it over to avoid any harm coming to our faithful friend—you know whom I mean.[4] I recommend him to you. I should be glad to see you, together with Baron Wenzel [de Duba] and Master Christian. I fancy, if you speak to the Pope’s under-chamberlain, he will give you permission to visit me. You would have to

  1. This visit, if paid later, would explain what Hus calls ‘the negligence in writing’ on p. 198.
  2. Michael. A favourite insult of the times. Cf. Stephen Dolein’s ‘Sacce Wyclif, ora pro nobis’ (Antihussus, pp. 373, 426).
  3. See next page, n. 3.
  4. Gaoler Robert, who carried the letters.